December 21, 2024

LAKE WALES, Fla. – Dakota State (S.D.) closed their 2024 portion of the season Saturday afternoon, completing the Warner (Fla.) Classic with an undefeated 2-0 record after defeating host-team 82-66, hitting their 10^th victory of the season.  It marked the sixth consecutive season that the Trojans produced at least 10 victories.

Dakota State, ranked No. 6 in the latest NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches' Top 25 national poll, won their eighth consecutive game to raise their overall record to 10-3.  DSU's eight-game winning streak is tied for 10^th longest winning streak in the school record book with the 2022-23 and 1999-00 squads.  Warner, a member of The Sun Conference, fell to 5-8 overall record.

Dakota State finished their non-conference schedule with an 8-3 record and remained undefeated on the road this season with a 4-0 record.

The Trojans ring in the New Year as they prepare for the busy North Star Athletic Association schedule.  DSU returns home on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, as they host Bellevue (Neb.) with a 3 p.m. tip-off at DSU Fieldhouse.

(6) Dakota State (S.D.) 82, Warner (Fla.) 66 – FINAL

Angela Slattery sparked the Trojans' 5-0 scoring run with a 3-pointer followed by a layup by Tabor Teel in the first one minute and fourteen seconds of the game.

DSU registered their first double digit lead of the game as Slattery drained a 3-pointer (assisted by Bria Wasmund), ballooning their lead to 20-9 with 1:09 left in the first period.

WU's Cameron Tripp hit a basket with less than a minute to go, trimming DSU's lead to 20-11 by the end of the first period.

Dakota State was 8-of-18 from the field (44.4 percent), including 4-of-11 from the 3-point line in the first quarter.  The Royals were 35.7 percent from the field (5-of-14 field goals).

Warner held Dakota State to one basket in the first five minutes of the second quarter, sparking an 11-2 run to knot the game at 22-22 after a basket by Courtney Logan with 5:34 on the clock.

The Trojans answered with a 6-0 scoring run, capped by a 3-pointer from Hamtyn Heinz for 28-22 lead with less than four minutes to go before halftime.

Dakota State led 35-29 by intermission.  The Royals outscored the Trojans 18-15 in the second period.

DSU shot a blazing 66.7 percent from the field in the third quarter (12-of-18 field goals), using a 29-19 scoring run to extend their lead to 64-48.

Lilli Mackley hit back-to-back 3-pointers to fuel DSU's 8-0 fourth quarter opening run.  Cierra Watkins capped the scoring run with a layup to stretch the Trojans' lead to 72-48 with 8:42 remaining.

Dakota State led as many as 31 points after a 3-pointer by Wasmund (assisted by Ella Carstensen) for an 82-51 lead with five minutes to go.

Both teams scored 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Wasmund led DSU with 15 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals (tied career high).  Heinz scored a season-high 14 points off the bench after going perfect 5-of-5 from the field, including 4-of-4 from the 3-point line.  She also had two steals and two assists.  Simmons tallied 10 points.

Slattery and Teel each had nine points for Dakota State.  Teel grabbed nine rebounds.  Slattery added five rebounds.  Mackley added eight points, three rebounds, and two steals.  Angelina Chapple had seven points and career-high four rebounds.  Watkins scored six points.    

Julia Gilbert led the Royals with 20 points and nine rebounds.  She was 6-of-10 from the field, including 6-of-8 from the 3-point line.  Bethany Howard added 16 points and three steals.  Courtney Logan and Kalyah Watson each had 10 points.  Logan stole the ball four times and grabbed six rebounds.  Tripp contributed five assists.

Dakota State shot 48.5 percent overall from the field (33-of-68 field goals) compared to Warner 46.6 percent (27-of-58 field goals).  The Trojans hit a season-high 15 3-pointers in the game in 38 attempts (39.5 percent), while the Royals hit 7-of-15 3-pointers (46.7 percent).

DSU outrebounded UW 37-24 (10-1 on offensive boards). 

The Trojans outscored the Royals 35-5 in bench points.